Overcoming the Effects of Legalism

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”  (Matthew 23:13-15 NIV)

The campus preachers make their appearance every Fall, preaching their “hellfire and brimstone” brand of the Gospel.  They’ve been around along time and they always draw a crowd.  I remember when I was a college student, “Brother Jed” and “Sister Cindy” (his wife) coming onto our campus and calling one of my friends a whore because she was wearing shorts.  She just happened to be a very committed follower of Jesus.

Of course, this is the gospel they preach, which is really not the Gospel at all.  Rather, it is a New Testament version of what the Pharisees preached—legalism.  And, as I have found out, if you don’t subscribe exactly to what they believe, you are branded an unbeliever that needs to repent.  The sad part is they travel the country preaching their legalism and their converts become entrapped in the same legalistic faith.  And perhaps even sadder, is they leave behind to those who gathered around to listen a very skewed and inaccurate picture of who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him.  And instead of leading people into a relationship with the Lord, they turn them away.

I understand why Jesus called the Pharisees out.  They were seen as representatives of God, but the picture they were painting of Him was totally inaccurate.  And they were zealous to make converts. Unfortunately, there are many out there today doing the same thing.  

Jesus didn’t have much success convincing the Pharisees, so arguing with their successors in this day is not likely to be persuasive.  Yet, loving people as Jesus did is a strong antidote to the legalistic message they proclaim.  Many chose to follow Him and leave the legalistic teachings of the Pharisees behind.  

Today, recognize, as Peter writes, love covers over a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8).  Jesus loved on those who had been negatively impacted by legalistic teachings with much success.  You can do the same.

© Jim Musser 2015